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CopánFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Copan" redirects here. For the town in the United States, see Copan, Oklahoma.
For other uses, see Copán (disambiguation).
Copán
One of two simian sculptures on Temple 11,[1] possibly representing Howler
Monkey Gods.
Copán
Location within Mesoamerica
Location
Coordinates 14°50′24″N 89°8′24″W
Country Honduras
Region Copán Department
History
Culture Maya civilization
Period Early Preclassic to Postclassic
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Maya Site of Copan
Type Cultural
Criteria iv, vi
Designated 1980 (4th session)
Reference No. 129
State Party Honduras
Region Latin America and the Caribbean
Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copán Department of western Honduras,
not far from the border withGuatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to
9th centuries AD. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the
frontier with the Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peoples.[2] In this
fertile valley now lies a city of about 3000, a small airport, and a winding road.[3]
Copán was occupied for more than two thousand years, from the Early Preclassic period right through to
the Postclassic. The city developed a distinctive sculptural style within the tradition of the lowland Maya,
perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city's rulers.[2]
The city has a historical record that spans the greater part of the Classic period and has been reconstructed in
detail by archaeologists and epigraphers.[2] Copán was a powerful city ruling a vast kingdom within the southern
Maya area.[4] The city suffered a major political disaster in AD 738 when Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, one of the
greatest kings in Copán's dynastic history, was captured and executed by his former vassal, the king
of Quiriguá.[5] This unexpected defeat resulted in a 17-year hiatus at the city, during which time Copán may
have been subject to Quiriguá in a reversal of fortunes.[6]
A significant portion of the eastern side of the acropolis has been eroded away by the Copán River, although
the river has since been diverted in order to protect the site from further damage.[2]
Contents
[hide]
1 Etymology
2 Location
3 Population
4 History
o 4.1 Rulers
o 4.2 Predynastic history
o 4.3 K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' and K'inich Popol Hol
o 4.4 Other early dynastic rulers
o 4.5 K'ak' Chan Yopaat and Smoke Imix
o 4.6 Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil
o 4.7 Later rulers
o 4.8 Modern history
5 Site description
o 5.1 Main Group
o 5.2 Sepulturas Group
o 5.3 Other Groups
o 5.4 Monuments
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links
Etymology[edit]
It is likely the ancient name of Copán was Oxwitik pronounced [oʃwitik], "Three Witik" (the meaning
of witik remains obscure).[7][8]
Location[edit]
Location of Copán
Copán is located in western Honduras close to the border with Guatemala. Copán lies within
the municipality of Copán Ruinas in the department of Copán. It is situated in a fertile valley among foothills at
700 meters (2,300 ft) above mean sea level.[2] The ruins of the site core of the city are located 1.6 kilometers
(1 mi) from the modern village of Copán Ruinas, which is built on the site of a major complex dating to the
Classic period.[9]
In the Preclassic period the floor of the Copán Valley was undulating, swampy and prone to seasonal flooding.
In the Early Classic, the inhabitants flattened the valley floor and undertook construction projects to protect the
architecture of the city from the effects of flooding.[10]
Copán had a major influence on regional centres across western and central Honduras, stimulating the
introduction of Mesoamerican characteristics to local elites.[11]
Population[edit]
The West Court of Copán
At the peak of its power in the Late Classic the kingdom of Copán had a population of at least 20,000 and
covered an area of over 250 square kilometers (100 sq mi).[12] The greater Copán area consisting of the
populated areas of the valley covered about a quarter of the size of the city of Tikal. It is estimated that the
peak population in central Copán was between 6000 to 9000 in an area of 0.6 square kilometers (0.23 sq mi),
with a further 9000 to 12000 inhabitants occupying the periphery—an area of 23.4 square kilometers
(9.0 sq mi). Additionally, there was an estimated rural population of 3000 to 4000 in a 476 square kilometers
(184 sq mi) area of the Copán Valley, giving an estimated total population of 18,000 to 25,000 people in the
Copán Valley during the Late Classic period.[13]
History[edit]
Little is known of the rulers of Copán before the founding of a new dynasty with its origins at Tikal in the early
5th century AD, although the city's origins can be traced back to the Preclassic period.[14] After this, Copán
became one of the more powerful Maya city states and was a regional power in the southern Maya region,
[2] although it suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of its former vassal state Quirigua in 738, when the
long-ruling kingUaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil was captured and beheaded by Quirigua's ruler K'ak' Tiliw Chan
Yopaat (Cauac Sky).[15] Although this was a major setback, Copán's rulers began to build monumental
structures again within a few decades.[6]
The area of Copán continued to be occupied after the last major ceremonial structures and royal monuments
were erected, but the population declined in the 8th and 9th centuries from perhaps over 20,000 in the city to
less than 5,000. This decrease in population took over four centuries to actually show signs of collapse
showing the stability of this site even after the fall of the ruling dynasties and royal families.[16] The ceremonial
center was long abandoned and the surrounding valley home to only a few farming hamlets at the time of the
arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.
Rulers[edit]
References to the predynastic rulers of Copán are found in later texts but none of these texts predate the
refounding of Copán in AD 426.[17]
Stela H at Copán, commissioned by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil.[18]
Name (or nickname) RuledDynastic
succession no.Alternative Names
K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' 426 - c. 437 1 Great-Sun First Quetzal Macaw
K'inich Popol Hol c. 437 2 Great-Sun
name unknown c. 455 3 Ruler 3
Ku Ix c. 465 4 K'altuun Hix, Tuun K'ab' Hix
name unknown c. 476 5 Ruler 5
Muyal Jol c. 485 6 Ruler 6
B'alam Nehn 504–544 7 Jaguar Mirror; Waterlily-Jaguar
Wil Ohl K'inich[19] 532–551 8 Ruler 8; Head on Earth
Sak-Lu 551–553 9 Ruler 9
Tzi-B'alam 553–578 10 Moon Jaguar
K'ak' Chan Yopaat[20] 578–628 11 B'utz' Chan; Smoke Serpent
Chan Imix K'awiil 628–695 12 Smoke Jaguar
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil 695–738 13 18 Rabbit
K'ak' Joplaj Chan K'awiil 738–749 14 Smoke Monkey
K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil 749–763 15 Smoke Shell; Smoke Squirrel
Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat 763–after 810 16 Yax Pac
Ukit Took 822 17? –
Predynastic history[edit]
The fertile Copán River valley was long a site of agriculture before the first known stone architecture was built
in the region about the 9th century BC. The city was important before its refounding by a foreign elite; mentions
of the predynastic history of Copán are found in later texts but none of these predates the refounding of the city
in AD 426.[14] There is an inscription that refers to the year 321 BC but no text explains the significance of this
date.[21] An event at Copán is linked to another event that happened 208 days before in AD 159 at an unknown
location that is also mentioned on a stela from Tikal, suggesting that it is a location somewhere in the Petén
Basin, possibly the great Preclassic Maya city of El Mirador.[17] This AD 159 date is mentioned in several texts
and is linked to a figure known as "Foliated Ajaw". This same person is mentioned on the carved skull of
a peccary recovered from Tomb 1, where he is said to perform an action with a stela in AD 376.[21]
K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' and K'inich Popol Hol[edit]
Ceramic lid shaped to represent K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', recovered from the tomb of the 7th-century king Smoke Imix, under
Temple 26.[22]
The city was refounded by K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', establishing it as the capital of a new Maya kingdom.[2] This
coup was apparently organized and launched from Tikal. Texts record the arrival of a warrior named K'uk' Mo'
Ajaw who was installed upon the throne of the city in AD 426 and given a new royal name, K'inich Yax K'uk'
Mo' and the ochk'in kaloomte "Lord of the West" title used a generation earlier by Siyaj K'ak', a general from the
great metropolis of Teotihuacan who had decisively intervened in the politics of the central Petén.[23] K'inich Yax
K'uk' Mo' was probably from Tikal and was likely to have been sponsored by Siyaj Chan K'awill II, the 16th ruler
in the dynastic succession of Tikal. K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' may have legitimized his claim to rulership by
marrying into the old Copán royal family, evidenced from the remains of his presumed widow. Bone analysis of
her remains indicates that she was local to Copán.[24] After the establishment of the new kingdom of Copán, the
city remained closely allied with Tikal.[25] The hieroglyphic text on Copán Altar Q describes the lord being
elevated to kingship with the receipt of his royal scepter. The ceremonies involved in the founding of the Copán
dynasty also included the installation of a subordinate king at Quiriguá.[26]
A text from Tikal mentions K'uk' Mo' and has been dated to AD 406, 20 years before K'uk' Mo' Ajaw founded
the new dynasty at Copán. Both names are likely to refer to the same individual originally from Tikal. Although
none of the hieroglyphic texts that mention the founding of the new Copán dynasty describe how K'uk' Mo'
arrived at the city, indirect evidence suggests that he conquered the city by military means. On Altar Q he is
depicted as a Teotihuacano warrior with goggle eyes and a war serpent shield.[27] When he arrived at Copán he
initiated the construction of various structures, including one temple in the talud-tablero style typical of
Teotihuacan and another with inset corners and apron moldings that are characteristic of Tikal. These strong
links with both the Maya and Central Mexican cultures suggest that he was at least a Mexicanized Maya or
possibly even from Teotihuacan.[21] The dynasty founded by king K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' ruled the city for four
centuries and included sixteen kings plus a probable pretender who would have been seventeenth in line.
Several monuments have survived that were dedicated by K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' and by his heir.[28]
K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' died between AD 435 and AD 437. In 1995 a tomb underneath the talud-tablero Hunal
temple was discovered by a team of archaeologists led by Robert Sharer and David Sedat. The tomb contained
the skeleton of an elderly man with rich offerings and evidence of battle wounds. The remains have been
identified as those of K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' due to their location underneath a sequence of seven buildings
erected in his honor. Bone analysis has identified the remains as being those of someone foreign to Copán.[21]
Stela 63, probably dating to the reign of K'inich Popol Hol.[29]
K'inich Popol Hol inherited the throne of Copán from K'inich ax K'uk' Mo', who was his father. He undertook
major construction projects with the redesign of the core of Copán. Popol Hol is not the original name of this
king but rather a nickname based on the appearance of his Teotihuacan-linked name glyph.[30] K'inich Popol
Hol oversaw the construction of the first version of the Mesoamerican ballcourt at the city, which was decorated
with images of the Scarlet Macaw, a bird that features prominently in Maya mythology. His greatest
construction activity was in the area of his father's palace, now underlying Structure 10L-16, which he
demolished after entombing his father there. He then built three successive buildings on top of the tomb in
rapid succession.[31]
Other early dynastic rulers[edit]
Very little is known about Rulers 3 to 6 in the dynastic succession, although it is known from a fragment of a
broken monument reused as construction fill in a later building that one of them was a son of Popol Hol. Ruler 3
is depicted on the 8th-century Altar Q but his name glyph has broken away. Ku Ix was the 4th ruler in the
succession. He rebuilt temple 10L-26 in the Acropolis, erecting a stela there and a hieroglyphic step at its base.
Although this king is also mentioned on a few other fragments of sculpture, no dates accompany his name. The
next two kings in the dynastic sequence are only known from their sculptures on Altar Q.[32]
B'alam Nehn (often referred to as Waterlily Jaguar) was the first king to actually record his position in the
dynastic succession, declaring that he was seventh in line from K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'. Stela 15 records that he
was already ruling Copán by AD 504. B'alam Nehn is the only king of Copán to be mentioned in a hieroglyphic
text from outside of the southeastern Maya region. His name appears in a text on Stela 16 from Caracol, a site
in Belize. The stela dates to AD 534 but the text is not well understood. B'alam Nehn undertook major
construction projects in the Acropolis, building over an early palace with a number of important structures.[33]
Wil Ohl K'inich, the eighth ruler, is another king known only by his appearance on Altar Q.[33] He was succeeded
by Ruler 9 in AD 551, his accession being described on the Hieroglyphic Stairway. He is also depicted on
Altar Q but ruled for a very short period of less than two years.[34]
Maya civilization
People
Languages
Society
Religion
Mythology
Sacrifice
Cities
Architecture
Calendar
Stelae
Art
Textiles
Trade
Music
Writing
History
Preclassic Maya
Classic Maya collapse
Spanish conquest of Yucatán
Spanish conquest of Guatemala
Spanish conquest of Petén
V
T
E
The 10th ruler is nicknamed Moon Jaguar by Mayanists. He was a son of B'alam Nehn, the 7th ruler. He was
enthroned in May 553. His surviving monuments were found in the modern village of Copán Ruinas, which was
a major complex during the Classic period. The most famous construction dating to his reign is the elaborate
Rosalila phase of Temple 16, discovered entombed intact under later phases of the temple during
archaeological tunneling work.[35]
K'ak' Chan Yopaat and Smoke Imix[edit]
K'ak' Chan Yopaat was the eleventh dynastic ruler at Copán. He was crowned as king in AD 578, 24 days after
the death of Moon Jaguar. At the time of his rule Copán was undergoing an unprecedented rise in population,
with residential land use spreading to all available land in the entire Copán Valley. The two surviving stelae of
K'ak' Chan Yopaat contain long hard-to-decipher hieroglyphic texts and are the oldest monuments at the site to
survive without being either broken or buried. He had a long reign, ruling at Copán for 49 years, and he died on
5 February 628. His name is recorded on four stelae erected by his successors, one of which describes a rite
performed with relics from his tomb in AD 730, almost a hundred years after his death.[36]
Smoke Imix was crowned 16 days after the death of K'ak' Chan Yopaat. He is thought to have been the longest
reigning king of Copán, ruling from 628 to 695. He is believed to have been born in AD 612 to have become
king at the age of 15. Archaeologists have recovered little evidence of activity for the first 26 years of his reign
but in AD 652 there was a sudden explosion of monument production, with two stelae being erected in the
Great Plaza and a further four in important locations across the Copán Valley. These monuments all celebrated
a katun-ending. He also erected a stela at the Santa Rita site 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) away and is mentioned on
Altar L at Quiriguá in relation to the same event in 652. It is thought that he was trying to stamp his authority
throughout the whole valley after the end of some earlier restriction to his freedom to rule as he wished.[37]
After this sudden spate of activity, Smoke Imix continued to rule until almost the end of the 7th century; he
dedicated another 9 known monuments and made important changes to the architecture of Copán, including
the construction of Structure 2 which closes the northern side of the Great Plaza and a new version of
Temple 26, nicknamed Chorcha. Smoke Imix ruled Copán for 67 years and died on 15 June 695 at the age of
79, an age that was so distinguished that it is used to identify him in place of his name on Altar Q. His tomb had
already been prepared in the Chorcha phase of Temple 26 and he was buried just 2 days after his death.[38]
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil[edit]
Stela H detail, depicting king Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil was crowned as the 13th king in the Copán dynasty in July 695. He oversaw both
the apogee of Copán's achievements and also one of the city's most catastrophic political disasters. During his
reign, the sculptural style of the city evolved into the full in-the-round sculpture characteristic of Copán. In
AD 718, Copán attacked and defeated the unidentified site of Xkuy, recording its burning on an unusual stone
cylinder. In AD 724 Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil installed K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat as a vassal on the throne
of Quiriguá. Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil was confident enough in his power to rank his city among the four most
powerful states in the Maya region, together with Tikal, Calakmul and Palenque, as recorded on Stela A. In
contrast to his predecessor, Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil concentrated his monuments in the site core of the
Copán; his first was Stela J, dated to AD 702 and erected at the eastern entrance to the city.[18]
He continued to erect a further seven high-quality stelae until AD 736, monuments that are considered
masterpieces of Classic Maya sculpture with such mastery of detail that they represent the highest pinnacle of
Maya artistic achievement.[39] The stelae depict king Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil ritually posed and bearing the
attributes of a variety of deities, including B'olon K'awiil, K'uy Nik Ajaw and Mo' Witz Ajaw.[18] The king also
carried out major construction works, including a new version of Temple 26 that now bore the first version of
the Hieroglyphic Stairway, plus two temples that have now been lost to the erosion of the Copán River. He also
encased the Rosalila phase of Temple 16 within a new phase of construction. He remodelled the ballcourt, then
demolished it and built a new one in its place.[40]
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil had only recently dedicated the new ballcourt in AD 738 when a completely
unexpected disaster befell the city. Twelve years earlier he had installed K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat on the throne
of Quiriguá as his vassal.[41] By 734 the king of Quiriguá had shown he was no longer an obedient subordinate
when he began to refer to himself as k'ul ajaw, "holy lord", rather than simply as a subordinate lord ajaw.
[42] K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat appears to have taken advantage of wider political rivalries and allied himself
with Calakmul, the sworn enemy of Tikal. Copán was firmly allied with Tikal and Calakmul used its alliance with
Quiriguá to undermine Tikal's key ally in the south.[43]
Although the exact details are unknown, in April 738 K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat captured Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah
K'awiil and burned two of Copán's patron deities. Six days later Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil was decapitated in
Quiriguá.[44] This coup does not seem to have physically affected either Copán or Quiriguá; there is no evidence
that either city was attacked at this time and the victor seems not to have received any detectable tribute. [45] All
of this seems to imply that K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat managed to somehow ambush Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil,
rather than to have defeated him in outright battle. It has been suggested that Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil was
attempting to attack another site to secure captives for sacrifice in order to dedicate the new ballcourt when he
was ambushed by K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat and his Quiriguá warriors.[46]
In the Late Classic, alliance with Calakmul was frequently associated with the promise of military support. The
fact that Copán, a much more powerful city than Quiriguá, failed to retaliate against its former vassal implies
that it feared the military intervention of Calakmul. Calakmul was far enough away from Quiriguá that K'ak' Tiliw
Chan Yopaat was not afraid of falling directly under its power as a full vassal state, even though it is likely that
Calakmul sent warriors to help in the defeat of Copán. The alliance instead seems to have been one of mutual
advantage: Calakmul managed to weaken a powerful ally of Tikal while Quiriguá gained its independence.
[47] The disaster for Copán had long-lasting consequences; major construction ceased and no new monuments
were raised for the next 17 years.[48]
Later rulers[edit]
Stela N, depicting K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil[49]
K'ak' Joplaj Chan K'awiil was installed as the 14th dynastic ruler of Copán on 7 June 738, 39 days after the
execution of Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil. Little is known of his reign due to the lack of monuments raised after
Quiriguá's surprise victory. Copán's defeat had wider implications due to the fracturing of the city's domain and
the loss of the key Motagua River trade route to Quiriguá. The fall in Copán's income and corresponding
increase at Quiriguá is evident from the massive commissioning of new monuments and architecture at the
latter city and Copán may even have been subject to its former vassal. K'ak' Joplaj Chan K'awiil died in
January 749.[6]
The next ruler was K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil, a son of K'ak' Joplaj Chan K'awiil. The early period of his rulership
fell within Copán's hiatus but later on he began a programme of renewal in an effort to recover from the city's
earlier disaster. He built a new version of Temple 26, with the Hieroglyphic Stairway being reinstalled on the
new stairway and doubled in length. Five life-size statues of seated rulers were installed seated upon the
stairway. K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil died in the early 760s and is likely to have been interred in Temple 11,
although the tomb has not yet been excavated.[50]
Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat was the next ruler, 16th in the dynasty founded by K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', although he
appears not to have been a direct descendent of his predecessor. He took the throne in June 763 and may
have been only 9 years old.[1] He produced no monumental stelae and instead dedicated hieroglyphic texts
incorporated into the city's architecture and smaller altars. Texts make an obscure reference to his father but
his mother was a noblewoman from distant Palenque in Mexico. He built the platform of Temple 11 over the
tomb of the previous king in AD 769 and added a two-storey superstructure that was finished in AD 773.
[1] Around AD 776, he completed the final version of Temple 16 over the tomb of the founder. At the base of the
temple, he placed the famous Altar Q, which shows each of the 16 rulers of the city from K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'
through to Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat, with a hieroglyphic text on top describing the founding of the dynasty.[51] By
the latter 8th century, the nobility had become more powerful, raising palaces with hieroglyphic benches that
were as richly constructed as those of the king. At the same time, local satellites were displaying their own local
power, as demonstrated by the ruler of Los Higos erecting his own stela in AD 781.[51] Towards the end of Yax
Pasaj Chan Yopaat's reign, the city of Copán was struggling with overpopulation and a lack of local resources,
with a distinct fall in living standards among the populace.[51] Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat was able to celebrate his
second K'atun in AD 802 with his own monument, but the king's participation in the K'atun ending ceremony of
AD 810 was marked at Quiriguá, not at Copán.[51] By this time the city's population was over 20,000 and it had
long needed to import basic necessities from outside.[52]
The troubled times enveloping Copán at this time are evident from the funerary tomb of Yax Pasaj Chan
Yopaat, which bears sculptures of the king performing war dances with spear and shield in hand. The sculpted
column from the temple shrine has a hieroglyphic text reading "toppling of the Foundation House" that may
refer to the fall of the Copán dynasty.[53] Shortage and disease afflicted the massively overpopulated valley of
Copán when its last known king, Ukit Took', came to the throne on 6 February 822. He commissioned Altar L in
the style of Altar Q but the monument was never finished — one face shows the enthronement of the king and
a second face was started but two others were completely blank. The long line of kings at the once great city
had come to an end. Before the end, even the nobility had been struck by disease, perhaps because epidemics
among the malnourished masses spread to the elite. With the end of political authority at the city the population
collapsed to a fraction of what it had been at its height. This collapse of the city-state, which people believe
occurred sometime between 800 and 830 AD, was sudden. However, the population continued to persist and
even flourish between the years 750 and 900 AD, and then gradually declined soon thereafter.[54] In the
Postclassic period the valley was occupied by villagers who robbed the stone from the monumental
architecture of the city in order to build their simple house platforms.[53]
Modern history[edit]
The first post-Spanish conquest mention of Copán was in an early colonial period letter dated 8 March 1576.
The letter was written by Diego García de Palacio, a member of the Royal Audience of Guatemala, to
king Philip II of Spain.[55] French explorer Jean-Frédéric Waldeck visited the site in the early 19th century and
spent a month there drawing the ruins.[56] Colonel Juan Galindo lead an expedition to the ruins in 1834 on
behalf of the government of Guatemala and wrote articles about the site for English, French and North
American publications.[56] John Lloyd Stephens andFrederick Catherwood visited Copán and included a
description, map and detailed drawings in Stephens' Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and
Yucatán, published in 1841.[56] The site was later visited by British archaeologist Alfred Maudslay.[56] Several
expeditions sponsored by the Peabody Museum of Harvard University worked at Copán during the late 19th
and early 20th century,[57] including the 1892–1893 excavation of the Hieroglyphic Stairway by John G.
Owens and Gordon.[58] The Carnegie Institution also sponsored work at the site, in conjunction with the
government of Honduras.[59]
The Copán buildings suffered significantly from forces of nature in the centuries between the site's
abandonment and the rediscovery of the ruins. After the abandonment of the city the Copán Rivergradually
changed course, with a meander destroying the eastern portion of the acropolis (revealing in the process
its archaeological stratigraphy in a large vertical cut) and apparently washing away various subsidiary
architectural groups, including at least one courtyard and 10 buildings from Group 10L–2.[60] The cut is an
important archaeological feature at the site, with the natural erosion having created an enormous cross-section
of the acropolis. This erosion cut away a large portion of the eastern part of the acropolis and revealed a
vertical cross-section that measures 37 meters (121 ft) high at its tallest point and 300 meters (980 ft) long.
[2] The Carnegie Institution redirected the river to save the archaeological site, although several buildings
recorded in the 19th century had already been destroyed, plus an unknown amount of the acropolis that was
eroded before it could be recorded.[2] In order to avoid further destruction of the acropolis, the Carnegie
Institution diverted the river southwards in the 1930s; the dry former riverbed was finally filled in at the same
time as consolidation of the cut in 1990s.[61] Structures 10L–19, 20, 20A and21 were all destroyed by the
Copán River as it eroded the site away, but had been recorded by investigators in the 19th century.[2]
Copán was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, and UNESCO approved funding of US$95,825
between 1982 and 1999 for various works at the site.[62] Looting remains a serious threat to Copán. A tomb was
looted in 1998 as it was being excavated by archaeologists.[63]
Site description[edit]
Map of the center of Copán
The Copán site is known for a series of portrait stelae, most of which were placed along processional ways in
the central plaza of the city and the adjoining acropolis, a large complex of overlapping step-pyramids, plazas,
and palaces. The site has a large court for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame.[64] In two parallel buildings
framing a carefully dimensioned rectangle lies the court.[65]
The site is divided into various groups, with the Main Group and the Cemetery Group in the site core linked by
a sacbe to the Sepulturas Group to the northeast.[66] Central Copán had a density of 1449 structures per square
kilometer (3,750 /sq mi), in the area of greater Copán as a whole this density fell to 143 per square kilometre
(370 /sq mi) over a surveyed area of 24.6 square kilometers (9.5 sq mi).[67]
Main Group[edit]
Stela M and the Hieroglyphic Stairway.[28]
The Main Group represents the core of the ancient city and covers an area of 600 by 300 meters (2,000 ft
× 980 ft). The main features are the Acropolis, which is a raised royal complex on the south side, and a group
of smaller structures and linked plazas to the north, including the Hieroglyphic Stairway and the ballcourt. The
Monument Plaza contains the greatest concentration of sculpted monuments at the site.[68]
The Acropolis was the royal complex at the heart of Copán. It consists of two plazas which have been named
the West Court and the East Court. They are both enclosed by elevated structures.[66] Archaeologists have
excavated extensive tunnels under the Acropolis, revealing how the royal complex at the heart of Copán
developed over the centuries and uncovering several hieroglyphic texts that date back to the Early Classic and
verify details of the early dynastic rulers of the city who were recorded on Altar Q hundreds of years later. The
deepest of these tunnels have revealed that the first monumental structures underlying the Acropolis date
archaeologically to the early 5th century AD, when K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' established the royal dynasty.[69] These
early buildings were built of stone and adobe and were themselves built upon earlier earth and cobble
structures dating to the predynastic period.[70] The two styles of building overlap somewhat, with some of the
earthen structures being expanded during the first hundred years or so of the dynastic history of the city.[71] The
early dynastic masonry buildings of the Acropolis included several with the Early Classic apron-molding style of
Tikal and one built in the talud-tablero style associated with Teotihuacan, although at the time the talud-
tablero form was in use at both Tikal and Kaminaljuyu as well as in Central Mexico.[71]
Structure 10L-4 is a platform with four stairways situated by the Monument Plaza.[66]
Structure 10L-11 is on west side of the Acropolis. It encloses the south side of the Court of the Hieroglyphic
Stairway and is accessed from it by a wide monumental stairway. This structure appears to have been the royal
palace of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat, the 16th ruler in the dynastic succession and the last known king of Copán.
Structure 10L-11 was built on top of several earlier structures, one of which probably contains the tomb of his
predecessor K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil. A small tunnel descends into the interior of the structure, possibly to the
tomb, but it has not yet been excavated by archaeologists.[72] Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat built a new temple
platform over his predecessor's tomb in AD 769. On top of this he placed a two-storey superstructure with a
sculpted roof depicting the mythological cosmos. At each of its northern corners was a large
sculpted Pawatun (a group of deities that supported the heavens). This superstructure had four doorways with
panels of hieroglyphs sculpted directly onto the walls of the building. A bench inside the structure once depicted
the king's accession to the throne, overseen by deities and ancestors.[1]
Phases of Temple 16 (Structure 10L-16)
Phase King Date
Hunal K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'early 5th century AD
Yehnal K'inich Popol Hol mid-5th century AD
Margarita K'inich Popol Hol mid-5th century AD
Rosalila Moon Jaguar mid-6th century AD
Purpura Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiilearly 7th century AD
Structure 10L-16 (Temple 16) is a temple pyramid that is the highest part of the Acropolis, it is located
between the East and West Courts at the heart of the ancient city.[73] The temple faces onto the West Court
within the Acropolis and is dedicated to K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', the dynastic founder. The temple was placed on
top of the original palace and tomb of the king. It is the final version of a number of temples built one on top of
the other, as was common practice in Mesoamerica.[74] The earliest version of this temple is nicknamed Hunal;
it was built in the talud-tablero style of architecture that was typical of Teotihuacan, with traces of brightly
colored murals on the surviving traces of the interior walls. The king was buried in a vaulted crypt that was cut
into the floor of the Hunal phase of the building, accompanied by rich offerings of jade. K'inich Popol Hol, son of
the founder, demolished the palace of his father and built a platform on top of his tomb, named Yehnal by
archaeologists. It was built in a distinctively Petén Maya style and bore large masks of K'inich Tajal Wayib', the
sun god, which were painted red. This platform was encased within another much larger platform within a
decade of its construction. This larger platform has been named Margarita and had stucco panels flanking its
access stairway that bore entwined images of quetzals and macaws, which both form a part of K'inich Yax K'uk'
Mo's name. The Margarita phase contained a tomb with the richly accompanied burial of an elderly woman
nicknamed the "Lady in Red". It is likely that she was the widow of K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' and the mother of
K'inich Popol Hol. The upper chamber of the Margarita phase temple was converted to receive offerings and
the unusual Xukpi stone, a dedicatory monument used in one of the earlier phases, was reused in this later
phase.[75]
Life-size reconstruction of the Rosalila temple at the site museum of Copán.[76]
One of the best preserved phases of Temple 16 is the Rosalila, built over the remains of five previous versions
of the temple. Archaeologist Ricardo Agurcia discovered the almost intact shrine while tunneling underneath
the final version of the temple. Rosalila is notable for its excellent state of preservation, including the entire
building from the base platform up to the roof comb, including its highly elaborate painted stucco decoration.
Rosalila features K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' placed at the centre of a mythological tableau, combining the founder of
the dynasty with the sky deity Itzamna in avian form. The mythological imagery also
includes anthropomorphic mountains, skeletons and crocodiles. Vents in the exterior were designed so smoke
from incense being burned inside the shrine would interact with the stucco sculpture of the exterior. The temple
had a hieroglyphic stone step with a dedicatory inscription. The stone step is less well preserved than the rest
of the building, but a date in AD 571 has been deciphered. Due to the deforestation of the Copán valley, the
Rosalila building was the last structure at the site to use such elaborate stucco decoration — vast quantities of
firewood could no longer be spared to reduce limestone to plaster. A life-size copy of the Rosalila building has
been built at the Copán site museum.[35]
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil encased the Rosalila phase under a new version of the building in the early
8th century AD. An offering was made as part of the rites to terminate the old phase and included a collection
of eccentric flints worked into the profiles of humans and gods, which were wrapped in blue-dyed textiles.[77]
Structure 10L-18 is on the southeastern side of the Acropolis and has been damaged by the erosion caused
by the Copán River, having lost its eastern side. Stairs on the south side of the structure lead down to a vaulted
tomb that was looted in ancient times and was probably that of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat. It was apparently
plundered soon after the collapse of the Copán kingdom.[66] Unusually for Copán, the summit shrine had four
sculpted panels depicting the king performing war dances with spear and shield, emphasizing the rising
tensions as the dynasty came to its end.[53]
The interior doorway of Structure 10L-22
Temples 10L-20 and 10L-21 were probably both built by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil. They were lost to the
Copán River in the early 20th century.[77]
Structure 10L-22 is a large building on the north side of the East Court, in the Acropolis, and faces onto it. It
dates to the reign of Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil and is the best preserved of the buildings from his rule. The
superstructure of the building has an interior doorway with an elaborate sculpted frame and decorated with
masks of the mountain god Witz. The outer doorway is framed by the giant mask of a deity, and has stylistic
similarities with the Chenes regional style of distant Yucatán.[78] The temple was built to celebrate the
completion of the king's first K'atun in power, in AD 715, and has a hieroglyphic step with a first-person phrase
"I completed my K'atun". The building symbolically represents the mountain where maize was created.[40]
Structure 10L-25 is in the East Court of the Acropolis. It covers a rich royal tomb nicknamed Sub-Jaguar by
archaeologists. It is presumed to be the tomb of either Ruler 7 (B'alam Nehn), Ruler 8 or Ruler 9, who all ruled
in the first half of the 6th century AD.[79]
Phases of Temple 26 (Structure 10L-26)
Phase King Date
Yax K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' early 5th century AD
Motmot K'inich Popol Hol mid-5th century AD
Papagayo Ku Ix mid-5th century AD
Mascarón Smoke Imix 7th century AD
Chorcha Smoke Imix 7th century AD
Esmeralda
Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil early 8th century AD
N/A K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil mid-8th century AD
Structure 10L-26 is a temple that projects northwards from the Acropolis and is immediately to the north of
Structure 10L-22. The structure was built by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil and K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil, the 13th
and 15th rulers in the dynastic succession. The 10-meter (33 ft) wide Hieroglyphic Stairway ascends the
building on the west side from the courtyard below.[74] The earliest version of the temple, nicknamed Yax, was
built during the reign of K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', the dynastic founder, and has architectural features (such as
inset corners) that are characteristic of Tikal and the central Petén region.[21] The next phase of the building was
built by Yax K'uk' Mo's son K'inich Popol Hol and is nicknamed Motmot. This phase of the structure was more
elaborate and was decorated with stucco. Set under the building was the Motmot capstone, covering a tomb
with the unusual Teotihuacan-style burial of a woman, accompanied by a wide variety of offerings that included
animal bones, mercury, jade and quartz, along with three severed human heads, all of which were male.[30] Ku
Ix built a new phase of the building over Motmot, nicknamed Papagayo.[32]
Smoke Imix demolished the Papagayo phase and ritually interred the broken remains of its sculpted
monuments, accompanied by stone macaw heads from an early version of the ballcourt. He then built a
pyramid over the earlier phases, nicknamed Mascarón by archaeologists. It in turn was developed into the
Chorcha pyramid with the addition of a long superstructure with seven doorways at the front and back. Before a
new building was built over the top, the upper sanctuary was demolished and a tomb was inserted into the floor
and covered with 11 large stone slabs. The tomb contained the remains of an adult male and a sacrificed child.
The adult's badly decayed skeleton was wrapped in a mat and accompanied by offerings of fine jade, including
ear ornaments and a necklace of sculpted figurines. The burial was accompanied by offerings of 44 ceramic
vessels, jaguar pelts, spondylus shells, 10 paintpots and one or more hieroglyphic books, now decayed. There
were also 12 ceramic incense burners with lids modeled into human figurines, thought to represent Smoke Imix
and his 11 dynastic predecessors. The Chorcha building was dedicated to the long-lived 7th-century king
Smoke Imix and it is therefore likely that the remains interred in the building are his.[22] Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah
K'awiil had sealed the Chorcha phase under a new version of the temple, nicknamed Esmeralda, by AD 710.
The new phase bore the first version of the Hieroglyphic Stairway, which contains a lengthy dynastic history.
[77] K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil built over the Esmeralda phase in the mid-8th century. He removed the
Hieroglyphic Stairway from the earlier building and reinstalled it into his own version, while doubling the length
of its text and adding five life-size statues of rulers dressed in the garb of Teotihuacano warriors, each seated
on a step of the stairway. At the base of the stairway, he also raised Stela M, with his own image. The summit
shrine of the temple bore a hieroglyphic text composed of full-figure hieroglyphs, each placed beside a similar
glyph in faux-Mexican style, giving the appearance of a bilingual text.[50]
The final version of the ballcourt was dedicated by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in AD 738.[64]
The Hieroglyphic Stairway climbs the west side of Structure 10L-26. It is 10 meters (33 ft) wide and has a
total of 62 steps. Stela M and its associated altar are at its base and a large sculpted figure is located in the
centre of every 12th step. These figures are believed to represent the most important rulers in the dynastic
history of the site. The stairway takes its name from the 2200 glyphs that together form the longest known
Maya hieroglyphic text. The text is still being reconstructed, having been scrambled by the collapse of the
glyphic blocks when the façade of the temple collapsed.[80] The staircase measures 21 meters (69 ft) long and
was first built by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in AD 710, being reinstalled and expanded in the following phase
of the temple by K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil in AD 755.[49]
The Ballcourt is immediately north of the Court of the Hieroglyphic Stairway and is to the south of the
Monument Plaza.[74] It was remodeled by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, who then demolished it and built a third
version, which was one of the largest from the Classic period. It was dedicated to the great macaw deity and
the buildings flanking the playing area carried 16 mosaic sculptures of the birds. The completion date of the
ballcourt is inscribed with a hieroglyphic text upon the sloping playing area and is given as 6 January 738.[64]
The Monument Plaza or Great Plaza is on the north side of the Main Group.[74]
Sepulturas Group[edit]
The Sepulturas Group is linked by a sacbe or causeway that runs southwest to the Monument Plaza in the
Main Group. The Sepulturas Group consists of a number of restored structures, mostly elite residences that
feature stone benches, some of which have carved decorations, and a number of tombs.[66]
The group has a very long occupational history, with one house having been dated as far back as the Early
Preclassic. By the Middle Preclassic, large platforms were being built from cobbles and several rich burials
were made. By AD 800, the complex consisted of about 50 buildings arranged around 7 major courtyards.[52] At
this time, the most important building was the 'House of the Bakabs, the palace of a powerful nobleman from
the time of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat. The building has a high-quality sculpted exterior and a carved hieroglyphic
bench inside. A portion of the group was a subdistrict occupied by non-Maya inhabitants from Central
Honduras who were involved in the trade network that brought in goods from that region.[52]
Other Groups[edit]
The North Group is a Late Classic compound. Archaeologists have excavated fallen façades that bear
hieroglyphic inscriptions and sculpted decoration.[66]
The Cemetery Group is immediately south of the Main Group and includes a number of small structures and
plazas.[66]
Monuments[edit]
Altar Q depicts 16 kings in the dynastic succession of the city
Altar Q is the most famous monument at Copán.[81] It was dedicated by king Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat in AD 776
and has each of the first 16 kings of the Copán dynasty carved around its side. Each figure is depicted seated
on his name glyph. A hieroglyphic text is inscribed on the upper surface, relating the founding of the dynasty in
AD 426–427. On one side, it shows the dynastic founder K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' transferring power to Yax Pasaj.
[82] Interestingly, Tatiana Proskouriakoff first discovered the inscription on the West Side of Altar Q that tells us
the date of the inauguration of Yax Pasaj. This portrayal of political succession tells us much about Early
Classic Maya culture.
The Motmot Capstone is an inscribed stone that was placed over a tomb under Structure 10L-26. Its face was
finely sculpted with portraits of the first two kings of the Copán dynasty, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' and K'inich Popol
Hol, facing towards each other with a double column of hieroglyphs between them, all contained within a
quatrefoil frame. The frame and the hieroglyphic names of mythological locations underneath the feet of the
two kings place them in a supernatural realm. The capstone bears two calendrical dates, in AD 435 and
AD 441. The second of these is probably the date that the capstone was dedicated.[30]
The Xukpi Stone is a dedicatory monument from one of the earlier phases of the 10L-16 temple constructed to
honor K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'. It bears the date of AD 437 and the names both K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' and K'inich
Popol Hol, together with a possible mention of the Teotihuacan general Siyaj K'ak'. The monument has not
been completely deciphered and its style and phrasing are unusual.[32] Originally it was used as a sculpted
bench or step and the date on the monument is associated with the dedication of a funerary temple or a tomb,
probably the tomb of K'inich' Yax K'uk' Mo', which was discovered underneath the same structure.[71]
Stela 2 was erected in the Great Plaza by Smoke Imix in AD 652.[37]
Stela 3 is another stela erected by Smoke Imix in the Great Plaza in AD 652.[37]
Stela 4 was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in the early 8th century AD.[18]
Stela 7 dates to the reign of K'ak' Chan Yopaat, and was erected to celebrate the K'atun-ending ceremony of
AD 613. It was found in the western complex now underneath the modern village of Copán Ruinas. It bears a
long hieroglyphic text that has been only partially deciphered.[83]
Stela 9 was found in the modern village of Copán Ruinas, where it had been erected on the site of a major
Classic period complex 1.6 kilometers (1 mi) outside of the site core. It was dedicated by Moon Jaguar and
dates to AD 564.[9]
Stela 10 was erected outside of the site core by Smoke Imix in AD 652.[37]
Stela 11 was originally an interior column from Temple 18, the funerary shrine of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat.
When it was found, it was broken in two parts at the base of the temple. It portrays the king as the elderly Maya
maize god and has imagery that seems to deliberately parallel the tomb lid of the Palenque king K'inich Janaab'
Pakal, probably because of Yax Pasaj Chan Yopaat's close family ties to that city. The text of the column
formed part of a longer text carved onto the interior walls of the temple and may describe the downfall of the
Copán dynasty.[53]
Stela 12 was erected outside of the site core by Smoke Imix in AD 652.[37]
Stela 13 was erected outside the site core by Smoke Imix in AD 652.[37]
Stela 15 is dated to AD 524, during the reign of B'alam Nehn. Its sculpture consists entirely of hieroglyphic text,
which mentions that king B'alam Nehn was ruling the city by AD 504.[33]
Stela 17 dates to AD 554, during the reign of Moon Jaguar. It originally stood in the nearby village of Copán
Ruinas, which was a major complex in the Classic period.[9]
Stela 18 is a fragment of a monument bearing the name of K'inich Popol Hol. It was erected in the inner
chamber of the 10L-26 temple.[84]
Stela 19 is a monument erected outside of the site core by Smoke Imix in AD 652.[37]
Stela 63 was dedicated by K'inich Popol Hol. Its sculpture consists purely of finely carved hieroglyphic texts
and it is possible that it was originally commissioned by K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo' with additional texts added to the
sides of the monument by his son. The text contains the same date in AD 435 that appears on the Motmot
Capstone. Stela 63 was deliberately broken, together with its hieroglyphic step, during the ritual demolishing of
the Papagayo phase of Temple 26. The remains of the monuments were then interred in the building before the
next phase was built.[85]
Stela P, depicting K'ak' Chan Yopaat.[83]
Stela A was erected in 731 by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil. It places his rulership among the four most powerful
kingdoms in the Maya region, alongside Palenque, Tikal and Calakmul.[18]
Stela B was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in the early 8th century AD.[18]
Stela C was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in the early 8th century AD.[18]
Stela D was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in the early 8th century AD.[18]
Stela F was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in the early 8th century AD.[18]
Stela H was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in the early 8th century AD.[18]
Stela J was erected by Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil in AD 702 and was his first monument. It stood at the
eastern entrance to the city and is unusual in being topped by a sculpted stone roof, converting the monument
into a symbolic house. It bears a hieroglyphic text that is woven into a criss-cross mat design to form a
convoluted puzzle that must be read in precisely the right order to be understood.[18]
Stela M bears a portrait of K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil. It was raised at the foot of the Hieroglyphic Stairway of
Temple 26 in AD 756.[18]
Stela N was dedicated by K'ak' Yipyaj Chan K'awiil in AD 761 and placed at the foot of the steps to Temple 11,
which is believed to contain his burial.[49]
Stela P was originally erected in an unknown location and was later moved to the West Court of the Acropolis.
It bears a long hieroglyphic text that has not yet been fully deciphered. It dates from the reign of king K'ak'
Chan Yopaat and was dedicated in AD 623.[83]